47. Touch Little Eli and You're Fucked
47. Touch Little Eli and You're Fucked
Early morning.
Every first-year in Signia Class except the Imperial Princess, Silina, received a message.
[A welcome party for new students will be held. All first-years are to change into training clothes and assemble at the training hall by 8 a.m.]
It came from an unsaved number.
There was no way to know how the message had been sent, but the first-years headed to the training hall without suspicion.
Then, as the first-years gathered in the training hall, the bell announcing 9 o'clock rang, and second-years wearing red neckties entered.
Six in total.
Leading them were Shivria Eustetia, from a collateral branch of House Eustetia, and Baldwin de Hermann, an imperial prince far down the line of succession.
"Nice to meet you. As you can tell from the necktie color, I'm a second-year. My name is Shivria Eustetia. Let's get along, shall we?"
She spoke in a voice dripping with mockery.
"Signia Class is a class where the most distinguished students from all over gather. It's a place full of students with pride and strong self-esteem. So incidents and accidents happen often, and conflicts are inevitable. That's why I arranged this little gathering. To welcome you, and to teach you the rules of Signia."
As Shivria swept her gaze over the assembled students, her brow furrowed.
One person was missing.
Eliarnes Eustetia.
Shivria had arranged this gathering to repay the humiliation she had suffered in the library.
Baldwin was so far down the line of succession that he effectively had no chance of inheriting the throne.
But royalty was still royalty.
Shivria had borrowed Baldwin's authority and used a Student Council contact to obtain the first-years' numbers.
And so she had sent a message to every first-year except Silina.
But the main event hadn't shown up.
What could have happened?
Had she been so coddled at home that she couldn't be bothered?
Judging by how she'd acted in the library, that seemed entirely plausible.
An arrogant bitch who knew nothing of the world and relied only on her family's power.
A dull, ignorant bitch who didn't know the truth.
Shivria's brow furrowed further.
At that moment, Eliarnes was happily munching on a sandwich. Naturally, she hadn't checked her Device. More precisely, she couldn't check it.
Because she didn't know how to use a Device.
"Tch."
Shivria clicked her tongue, but it didn't matter much.
She hadn't planned on doing anything to Eliarnes anyway.
"Judging by your faces, you don't seem to understand."
What Shivria intended to mess with today was the knight who had been at Eliarnes's side.
"Top rank and second rank."
She spoke while radiating sharp Mana.
"Come forward and get on the ground."
The first-years were dumbfounded.
They said it was a welcome party, and now suddenly they were told to get on the ground?
And only the top rank and second rank?
The first-years, unable to comprehend Shivria's words, glanced around, unsure of what to do.
Watching them, Shivria spoke again in a sharper voice than before.
"Didn't you hear me? Top rank and second rank, come out and get on the ground."
At that voice, everyone present realized.
This wasn't a welcome party—it was a punishment drill.
All the first-years looked toward one spot with trembling eyes. Where everyone's gaze gathered stood Stella with a furrowed brow and Eurasia biting her lip.
"Are you going to make me say it three times? This is Karelai Academy. Whatever status you hold outside, here you're nothing but first-years. So stop with the foolish thoughts and come out and get on the ground."
Grind—the sound of teeth clenching.
Then a sharp voice rang through the training hall.
"Why should we?"
A voice with attitude.
"I heard this kind of culture was abolished."
It was Stella.
At those words, Shivria's eyes narrowed.
"Who told you that?"
"...Graduates did."
"They must not know because they graduated. It changed this year. How do you think we got your numbers?"
In truth, she had relied on Baldwin de Hermann's authority and used a contact, but there was no need to reveal that.
Because this culture had existed before, and it was a rule of Signia Class that professors didn't interfere in minor disputes between students.
At that short answer, Stella reached a conclusion on her own, exactly as Shivria intended.
That the professors were turning a blind eye, or the Student Council had permitted it.
"Ugh, but I still think this is wrong."
Still, Stella didn't back down.
Of course, it wasn't because she didn't want to get on the ground herself.
Neither Eliarnes nor Silina was here.
That didn't mean she intended to drag those two names into it. No, at the very least, she had no intention of dragging Eliarnes's name into it.
But she did think it was unjust.
If they were going to discipline the first-years, shouldn't they do it with everyone gathered?
They claimed the academy didn't discriminate by status, so why were those two exempt?
In the end, pulling this while not daring to touch the students they couldn't handle was a low, contemptible act.
That was what she thought, and what she said.
"Then would you prefer all the first-years get on the ground?"
Shivria openly dismissed her.
"I don't care either way. The top rank and second rank are the representatives of the new students, so I thought those two could keep all the first-years in line and was being considerate. But if you don't want that, then we'll just have to do it with everyone. Honestly, I'd prefer that too."
Meaning: could she take responsibility for what she'd just said?
At those words, the first-years' gazes turned sharp.
Of course, not everyone was glaring. Some students agreed with Stella, and some were simply terrified.
But among them, the gazes filled with hostility toward Stella were the most blatant.
Because of that, Stella couldn't say anything more. If she kept pushing here, she felt she would end up bearing a responsibility she couldn't handle.
And then she remembered what Eliarnes had said.
'You already got yourself ostracized? Ugh. I knew it. I told you. That little beak of yours is perfect for getting you ostracized, isn't it?'
...If she said one more word, she really felt like she'd get ostracized.
"I'll count to three."
Right in front of Stella, who had her head lowered, came a voice thick with mockery.
"Three."
Stella clenched both fists and bit her lip.
"Two."
Just as she was about to step forward and get on the ground—
"I'll do it instead."
Eurasia, who had been beside her, took a large step forward.
"I'll take the second rank's share too... I'll take Stella's punishment in her place, so please leave her out of this."
"...Huh? No, why would you—"
"Stella."
Eurasia cut her off and gently wrapped her hand around Stella's trembling one.
Then she smiled softly and whispered quietly.
"It's okay. I'm good at this kind of thing."
At that sight, Shivria let out a scoff and roughly snapped shut the folding fan in her hand.
"Ha. What a bold new student we have. Acting up because you're top rank?"
"No."
"Then what is it? Why are you staring at me with your eyes so wide open?"
"...I'll take it instead."
"Cheeky."
Cold gazes passed between them.
Then, a moment later, Shivria stepped closer to Eurasia and spoke.
"Fine. Then get on the ground."
Eurasia immediately dropped to the ground.
Then Shivria's foot came down on Eurasia's back.
The sharp heel dug into Eurasia's back.
But Eurasia clenched her teeth and swallowed the pained groan.
Irritated by that, Shivria even used Mana as she ground Eurasia down.
In the end, Stella couldn't take it anymore.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!"
At the same moment.
Standing behind Shivria.
A hulking female student whose face made you wonder if she was really a woman approached Stella from behind. Then she roughly grabbed Stella's slender body.
Her enormous hands seized Stella's waist without a gap. A light sweep of her leg forced Stella to her knees.
"Eek...! Ugh, ngh..."
With her anger at its limit, Stella began to kindle her Mana. Even if she couldn't kill her, she wanted to slam a spell into that damn face somehow.
Just before the Silent Casting spell manifested—
Shivria's lips curved into an infuriating smile as she spoke.
"Going to use magic? Go ahead and try. You're the one who made the first threat. So we merely subdued you. And if you add a direct attack on top of that, what do you think will happen?"
"Wh-what about what you're doing to Eurasia right now!"
"It's a Signia Class tradition. If you don't like it, go tell a professor when this is over. I'm curious what answer you'll get."
At the voice thick with mockery, Stella bit her lip.
Should she attack? What would happen if she attacked here? Suspension? Expulsion?
She didn't know. She couldn't know.
But seeing how confidently Shivria was acting, it felt like telling a professor wouldn't change anything.
And if she used magic here... she had a feeling something terrible would happen.
So then, what the hell was she supposed to do?
Blood trickled from her bitten lip.
Through blurred vision, she looked at Eurasia.
Eurasia was looking back at Stella with worried eyes.
And she shook her head, mouthing silently.
'It's okay.'
Tears mixed with the blood running down Stella's chin.
"Now then, let me explain the rules of Signia that aren't listed on your Devices."
And so began an explanation that was utterly useless.
Four hours later.
"Oh my. It's Eliarnes."
Eliarnes had come to the training hall.
Hearing that, Eurasia flinched and turned her head.
There stood her mistress—the Eliarnes she had wanted to protect no matter what.
Eurasia's trembling eyes met a pair of calm pink eyes.
Immediately, Eurasia shook her head and smiled gently. Then she parted her lips slightly and mouthed.
'I'm okay.'
Had the meaning gotten through?
They said the hazing was a Signia Class tradition.
They said even the professors turned a blind eye to it.
So if the young lady lost her temper and stepped in here, she might face disciplinary action.
The young lady must not act.
With that thought, Eurasia wiped away all her worry and smiled as naturally as she could.
Eliarnes was.
Calm.
There was no irritation, no anger, no displeasure, no confusion, no bewilderment, no disillusionment, no malice, no resentment.
She was simply calm.
And behind her, a platinum-haired girl.
Silina de Hermann revealed herself.
Everyone's gaze turned to Silina.
An awkward silence fell over the training hall.
In that silence.
The female orc who had forced Stella to her knees cautiously backed away.
Shivria, on the other hand, stood exactly as she was and stared at Eliarnes.
Meeting that gaze, Eliarnes spoke.
"Get your foot off."
A flat, toneless voice.
Eurasia was afraid of that voice.
Eliarnes always spoke in a sharp, biting, irritable voice.
But she had never once spoken in a voice so utterly devoid of emotion as she did that day.
So Eurasia could tell at once what state she was in.
Rage.
Because of that, she immediately tried to get up.
She tried to rise and stop Eliarnes.
But then, press—Shivria's foot ground down harder on her back.
"Nngh..."
She couldn't hold back the groan at the sudden pain.
At that groan, Eliarnes's feet moved.
One step, two steps, three steps.
At last, standing before Shivria, Eliarnes opened her mouth again.
"Get your foot. Off."
Shivria smiled coldly, thinking Eliarnes had taken the bait completely.
"Eliarnes. This is Karelai Academy. Whatever it's like outside, here I'm your senior. So ask me politely, in formal speech."
Shivria laughed, tapping Eurasia's back with her neatly folded fan.
"What's wrong? Don't like it? Can't accept it? This isn't the Eustetia Duchy where you grew up. No matter how shitty the rules are, you have to follow Karelai's."
Eliarnes's fist clenched.
"Get off."
Shivria put more force into her foot.
"I don't know how you passed the special exam, but Eustetia's power can't reach inside the academy. So if you're a first-year, act like a first-year and speak politely."
Three times.
Eliarnes had held back three times.
Whether she searched her Past Life or her current life, it was an indescribable feat.
So she decided not to hold back any longer.
It was a moment no one perceived.
The killing intent she had suppressed by biting her tongue and restrained for the sake of the Eustetia name burst forth.
Mana surged up in its wake.
Unperceivable even to the eyes of the self-proclaimed geniuses gathered here, let alone ordinary eyes.
An instant.
Her foot took one large step forward. Her waist twisted with powerful spring. The force passed through her waist and rode up her shoulder. It traveled through her arm and settled into her fist.
As she raised that fist—
"You're doing something absolutely ridiculous."
Crunch—!
A fierce current of Mana swept through.
Following it, someone's hand caught Eliarnes's arm and stopped it.
Elegant, wavy platinum hair scattered in the wind.
Her already nasty expression twisted further.
Sharp eyes. The platinum gaze that had been watching Eliarnes with interest turned toward Silina.
"Have my eyes gone crooked, my beloved little sister?"
Silina's face crumpled.
"If my eyes haven't gone crooked, then the second-years here must have lost their minds."
A woman who called Silina, the Second Princess, her little sister.
A woman with platinum hair and eyes, the symbol of the imperial family.
The First Princess.
Fabiana de Hermann's fierce voice seized the atmosphere of the training hall.